


Working Girls

by angellwings



Category: Camp Rock (2008)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chaptered, Drama, F/M, Friendship, Multi, Romantic Comedy, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-11
Packaged: 2017-11-09 19:56:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/457784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angellwings/pseuds/angellwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The lives of personal assistant Caitlyn, songwriter Mitchie, and shopgirl Ella collide in a story about love, friendship, and a few little white lies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cup of Ambition

**Author's Note:**

> I have been working on this story for a very long time and I've finally got enough of it done that I can start posting. I'm going to try to update once a week OR every time I get another chapter finished. I'm currently working on chapter 21 so as soon as that one is finished I'll post chapter 2 for everyone to read. And this IS an AU. My thoughts behind it basically consisted of "What would have happened to the characters if Brown had never started Camp Rock? How would they meet? What would they be doing? What would their relationships be like?" So with that in mind I hope you all enjoy it! Happy reading!
> 
> angellwings

A high pitched whine sounded as an Indiana Jones alarm clock blared the well known score and a hand suddenly shot out and knocked it to the floor.

"Ugh, not even a cool alarm clock is worth this."

Pedicured feet hit the floor and the shower was started not long after that. Half an hour later the young woman stepped out of the shower with skin tinted pink from the hot water and hands that were long past pruney. She dropped the towel and quickly found a strapless bra, camisole, and a black slip to wear while she put on her makeup and dried her hair.

Her phone rang and the woman rushed to her bedside table to answer it.

"Caitlyn Gellar speaking."

"Caity, are you up?"

She rolled her eyes and grinned. "Yes, Jase. I'm up. How long are you going to keep up this wake up call tradition?"

"As long as I think you need it," He told her with an audible grin.

Jason Gray was her best friend and one of her employer's clients. Well, actually he was her employer's nephew too. He was one third of Connect Three, A band of instrument playing, song writing, incredibly attractive brothers. They were also the nephews of manager and former Wet Crows lead guitarist, Brown Cesario, who Caitlyn worked for. _She_ was Brown Cesario's executive assistant.

"Fine, well, I'm up," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "I'm going to stop and get the usual and then I'll be on my way to work. Any special requests?"

"You think Connie will have any funnel cakes ready yet?" Jason asked.

"Funnel cake? For breakfast? Really, Jase?" Caitlyn asked with a smirk.

"What? Connie's funnel cakes are the best."

"Fine, but I'm buying you a fruit cup to go with it, and you're splitting the funnel cake with me," Caitlyn told him.

She heard him sigh before he answered. "Deal."

"Okay, I'm going to finish getting ready now, but I'll see you in a bit."

"Do you need a ride?" Jason asked before she hung up.

"You don't have to. I have a bus pass for a reason—"

"I can come and pick you up. No problem."

"Then great! I would love a ride," Caitlyn said brightly. "I'll be ready in about half an hour."

"I'm leaving now anyway. I need to get ahead of the traffic," Jason told her. "Bye, Caity."

"Bye, Jase," Caitlyn said with a smile as she hung up. She quickly finished her hair and her makeup and threw on a pencil skirt, a white v-neck shirt, and a black vest.

She went through her shoes and jewelry. Her outfit was rather plain today so she needed accessories that stood out. Studded black heels, a robot necklace, a rope bracelet, and a couple of funky rings did the trick. She quickly dumped her purse into a bright yellow Kate Spade tote that had been a freebie at an event Brown made her go to. She checked the time on her iPhone, and just as she unlocked it Jason called. That half hour went by very fast.

She didn't bother answering instead she headed out of her apartment door and down the stairs. Jason was parallel parked by the sidewalk in front of Connie's Café and Bakery which was directly across the street from her apartment. Caitlyn looked both ways and walked briskly across. She opened up Jason's passenger side door and grinned at him.

"Hello."

"Hey," he said. "I would've ordered but I don't remember how Uncle Brown likes his coffee."

Caitlyn chuckled and set her bag down in the floorboard of his car. "No problem. I'll run in. Connie should be expecting me anyway."

She turned and went inside the little shop. It was mostly an order out place, but there were a few small round tables outside on a tiny patio. There were four booths on the inside and a small bar with three stools. Connie's Café and Bakery was a fairly popular lunch spot in this neighborhood, and Caitlyn was a regular. She came in every morning to order for herself, Brown, and Jason. Jason's youngest brother, Nate, didn't drink coffee, and the middle brother, Shane, _only_ drank Starbucks coffee. So, Caitlyn never ordered anything for them.

Caitlyn approached the cash register and a middle aged brunette woman looked up happily. "Caitlyn! I've been expecting you."

Connie placed a bag and a cardboard cup holder with three cups of coffee on the counter in front of Caitlyn.

"Your usual," She said with a grin.

"Thank you, Mrs. Torres," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "Can I get a couple of fruit cups and a funnel cake too?"

"A funnel cake? At 7:45 in the morning?" Connie asked in amusement.

"Jason has a craving."

Connie laughed. "I see, and you can't let your young man down, can you?"

Caitlyn blushed and glanced out the window at Jason's car. "He's not _my_ young man."

"But you want him to be, and take it from a woman who knows…the quickest way to a man's heart _truly is_ through his stomach," Connie said with a smile. "So, yes I will make you that funnel cake, and the fruit cups are in the fridge in the corner."

"How much do I owe you?" Caitlyn asked.

"Just the usual ten," Connie answered as she poured the batter in the oil for a funnel cake. "Do you want powdered sugar or jam on this funnel cake?"

"Powdered sugar. Jason's not big on jam. Are you sure I don't owe you any extra, Mrs. Torres?"

"Oh please," Connie said as she flipped the funnel cake. "You're my best customer. The fruit cups and cake are on the house. "

Caitlyn handed Connie a ten, and then went to grab the fruit cups while Connie put the funnel cake in wax paper. Caitlyn put the fruit cups in the paper bag and Connie placed the wrapped funnel cake in a pink box.

"There you go, you're all set," Connie said cheerfully.

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Torres," Caitlyn said. "You're the best."

"You wouldn't want to tell my daughter that, would you?" Connie asked with a wink. "Just kidding. You work too hard, Caitlyn. _Someone_ has to pamper _you_ on occasion, and since you love my food so much it might as well be me."

Caitlyn smiled at her and blushed. "Thanks."

"No problem. You'll be back after work to pick up your quiche for that dinner with the Grays, won't you?" Connie asked.

Caitlyn nodded. "Yes. I raved to Mrs. Gray about your quiches. She's expecting one now, and I'll have to come back here to change."

"Alright then, I'll have it ready and waiting," Connie told her. "Now go on, don't make that boy wait too long."

Caitlyn struggled to pick up all three of her separate packages and before Connie could come around to help her Jason made his way inside. He grabbed the bag out of her hands without saying a word.

Caitlyn smirked at him. "Do you have like a Spidey-sense or something that tells you when there's a damsel in distress nearby?"

"You, Lady Caity, are no damsel," Jason told her with a smile. "You're a lady knight who refuses to accept help." He paused as Caitlyn glared at him. "Most of the time."

"Good morning, Jason," Connie said as she tossed a knowing smirk at Caitlyn.

"Morning, Mrs. Torres," Jason said with a nod.

"You had a funnel cake craving, huh?" Connie asked.

"Not just any funnel cake craving. A _Connie Torres_ funnel cake craving. There's a difference," Jason told her brightly. Before he turned back to Caitlyn. "You ready, Caity? The guy on the radio said traffic's starting to back up. We should get going."

Caitlyn nodded. "I'm ready. Let's go. Bye, Mrs. Torres! Thank you for everything."

"See you later, Mrs. Torres," Jason said as he opened the door for Caitlyn.

"Bye, kids!" Connie called after them.

Jason opened the passenger side door for Caitlyn and handed her the paper bag once she was seated. He got in the car and drove off toward Cesario Entertainment Group's offices.

"You're still coming over to the house for dinner tonight, right?" Jason asked. "Mom's been going on non-stop about it for about a week and a half."

Caitlyn smirked. "Yes, I have to go back home and change and I need to pick up a quiche from Connie, but I will totally be there."

"Why don't I just bring you home and wait for you to get ready?" Jason asked. "I'm going like I am and your apartment is on the way."

"Sure, if you want," Caitlyn said with a smile. "You don't have to, though."

"I know I don't have to," Jason told her. "I just want to."

They finally pulled up outside the offices and parked. They walked straight up to Brown's office floor and set the food down on Caitlyn's desk. She picked up the largest coffee and the bacon, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich that was wrapped up in the bottom of the bag and barged into Brown's office. She set the sandwich and the coffee down.

"Eat."

"I don't have time right now, Caitlyn. I just got the latest round of press in and—"

"I don't care. Eat," Caitlyn said as she took the phone out of Brown's hands and hung it up. "You can yell at the guys' publicist later."

"But—"

She rolled her eyes. "You have a meeting in fifteen minutes and then you've got an appointment to audition a new client, and then—"

"What's your point?" Brown asked with a sigh.

"If you don't eat now then you won't have time to eat until after two o'clock."

"Fine," Brown said as he reached for the sandwich and dug in.

Caitlyn smirked at him in victory and then walked back out to her desk.

Jason grinned and chuckled at her. "I don't know how you do it."

Caitlyn shrugged. "It's not that hard, really. I just don't take any crap from anyone."

"Yeah, cause that's not difficult at all," Jason said sarcastically with a smirk.

"Well," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "It isn't for me."

Caitlyn sat down at her desk and dialed a number.

"Who are you calling?" Jason asked.

"Don't you have a meeting in the conference room downstairs, Jase?" Caitlyn asked as she held the phone to her ear. She sighed as she was put on hold and then looked down at her watch. "I'm pretty sure you're late."

Jason's eyes widened and he grabbed Caitlyn's wrist to glance at her watch. "Damn. You're right. I'll see you after work, Caity."

She nodded and waved him away. "Go, run. Nate's going to kill you as it is."

She smiled after Jason as he ran toward the elevator, and then glanced down at the wrist that held her watch warmly. Her skin felt charged where he'd touched it. She was such a _sap_ when it came to Jason.

She was brought out of her thought's when the guys' publicist's receptionist finally answered the phone. "Yeah, hi. This is Caitlyn Gellar. Brown Cesario's assistant? From one majorly under appreciated service professional to another, can I ask a favor? Put your boss on the phone? Oh, thank you, you're such a sweetheart."

If Brown wanted to talk to Aaron Jones, the guys' publicist, then Caitlyn would set it up.

"Hi, Mr. Jones. It's Caitlyn. Can you meet Brown at the Ivy at 2 for a lunch meeting? I'm sure you are, but if you don't help me out here I'll have to tell your mother about all those martinis you had at that last after party—Are you kidding me? Of course I have her number. She's the sweetest lady. She's a big quiche fan. I suggested a little bakery I know—Oh wonderful, I knew you'd see it my way. See you at 2 o'clock, Aaron," Caitlyn said with a smirk.

She hung up and quickly hit number three on her speed dial. The Ivy was the _best_ place for lunch meetings so, of course, she had it on speed dial. She had a pretty good friendship with one of the hostesses at the Ivy. Her name was Peggy and like everyone else in L.A. she wanted to be an entertainer. Peggy was one of Caitlyn's most valuable contacts. She could always get Caitlyn a table for Brown's meetings.

"Hi, Can I speak to Peggy, please? Thank you so much."

Good God, She loved her job.

* * *

Jason jogged down the hall and burst through the conference room doors. "Sorry! Sorry, I'm late! Traffic was backed up—"

"It's okay, Jason. Have a seat,"

Jason head shot up and his eyes widened when he spotted Axel Turner standing at the front of the room. What was he doing here?

"Um, okay," Jason said slowly as he slid into a chair next to Shane. Jason gave Nate and Shane curious looks and they both shrugged.

"Brown reluctantly set up this meeting. Honestly, if Tess's assistant weren't so persuasive and determined I don't think I'd be standing here," Axel said with a chuckle. Axel was their uncle's rival. He ran Star Management and both men were constantly going after the same clients. And if that didn't make things complicated enough, Axel's daughter was Nate's best friend. They'd been close since kindergarten.

"Wait, this is about Tess Tyler?" Shane asked.

"Yes, she's got a duet and she wanted to know if Connect Three would be interested," Axel said as he passed out three copies of the music.

"On the Line?" Nate read aloud. "I don't know…"

Shane's eyebrows rose as he continued reading the music. "It's pretty good, dude. Catchy. I've never heard of this song writer, though."

Axel cleared his throat. "Tess found this song writer. She's been using her quite a bit lately. I'd never heard of her either."

"Devonne Lovette," Jason read slowly. "That's…"

"A terrible name," Shane said with a chuckle. "Poor woman."

"Tell Tess that we'll think about it and then give her a call. We should take a serious look at this music first," Nate told him.

"Fine," Axel said with a sigh. "But Tess's album needs to be finished in two and a half weeks. Don't take too long or she'll have to find somebody else. Luke Williams is her second choice."

All three of the brothers scowled.

"Luke Williams?" Shane asked. "He's a jerk."

"A very talented jerk," Axel said with a grin. "Meeting's over, I suppose. Take a look at that music and call Tess. She's really hoping you'll decide to work on it with her. Good day, gentleman."

They all nodded and waved and said brief goodbyes.

"I still don't understand how someone as slimy as Axel raised _Dana_. I mean she's _classy_ and Axel's…not," Jason said as he shook his head at the door Axel closed behind him.

Shane chuckled. "Occasionally from sleaze, a glorious apple may fall."

Nate put the music inside of his messenger bag and stood from the table. "I gotta go."

"I thought we were going to 'take a serious look at the music'?" Shane asked with a smirk.

"And we _will_ ," Nate told him. "Later. I'm supposed to meet Dana at some little dress shop."

"Wow, little brother," Jason said with a smirk. "Did Dana finally talk you into being one of her bridesmaids?"

" _Shut up_ ," Nate said with a glare. "I may be _her_ best friend but I'm one of Andy's _groomsmen_."

"Whatever dude, in the wedding program she's still gonna call you her 'man of honor'," Shane said with a chuckle. "I'm totally going to frame that, by the way."

"So, where's this dress shop?" Jason asked with a grin.

"I'm not sure. It's called Audrey's Closet," Nate told them.

"Oh," Jason said with a nod. "That's next to Connie's Café."

"The bakery place across the street from Caitlyn's apartment?" Shane asked.

Jason nodded. "Yes. I remember because Caitlyn always talks about how she has no time to go in there and see what it's all about."

"Well, I'll be sure to give her my review tonight at mom's dinner," Nate said flatly. "I'm gonna be late meeting Dana. There's some mystery designer that Dana loves and this little shop is the only shop nearby that carries this designer's wedding dresses."

"What designer?" Shane asked.

"Like you'd know who it was if I told you?" Nate asked.

"Hey, you don't date gold digging, up and coming starlets without learning a thing or two, Nathaniel. Trust me on this one. Who is it?" Shane asked.

"Um," Nate said thoughtfully. "E?"

"Ah, yeah I know that name. She's sort of underground and exclusive to certain stores which means anyone who's anyone would _kill_ for one of her dresses," Shane recited from memory. "The actress, two girlfriend's ago, was _obsessed_ with E."

"Apparently, Audrey's Closet is the only shop that carries E's wedding dresses. Well, unless you want to drive about ten hours which I've already told Dana I won't do," Nate said with a sigh. "So, now I'm driving out there to help her pick out her wedding dress. Does she realize that I know _nothing_ about dresses at all? Not a thing. How much help can I possibly be?"

"You're her best friend and you're a guy. She won't be able to show Andy and if it were up to Axel she wouldn't be getting married at all. You're the only _male_ opinion she can get, man. Deal with it," Jason said with a smirk.

"Someday this is gonna be you and Caitlyn," Nate said with a stern look. "You'll be helping her pick out _her_ wedding dress."

Jason paled dramatically. "I hope not."

"It _will_ be, if you don't make a move," Nate said again.

"Do you ever wish _you'd_ made a move?" Shane asked Nate. "You know, on Dana?"

Nate grimaced. "No, Dana has never been anything more than a very good friend. Dana and I would _not_ be a good couple. She and Andy are perfect together. "

"What if Caity and I don't make a good couple?" Jason asked. "I mean I think it's pretty clear that she sees me as this big brother figure."

Shane rolled his eyes. "If you truly think that then you know _nothing_."

Nate's phone rang and he groaned as he answered. "Hello? Chill out, Dane. I'm coming. I'm running late, okay? Blame your dad. He had Uncle Brown schedule a last minute meeting with us. I'll tell you later. Yeah, I'm on the way. I swear. See you in a few." Nate hung up quickly. "I really have to go. Be at the studio at two. We'll take a look at the song."

"We'll be there," Shane promised.

"See you later, little brother," Jason said as Nate sprinted out the door and down the hall.


	2. In the Same Boat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, so don't get used to this story being updated this frequently, haha. I've told myself I'm allowed to update it once a week OR after every chapter I finish. Whichever comes first. So expect one update every week. :) Also I have some stories nominated at the IndieCRAwards! I'd love it if you guys would go vote for me!  
> Happy reading!
> 
> angellwings

Nate finally made it to the shop after getting lost for about half an hour. He parallel parked and hurried inside the double doors of Audrey's closet. A bell rang lightly as he entered and he immediately spotted Dana chatting with a store clerk. A very cute store clerk. Dana turned and smiled at him. She motioned him over to the counter.

"Finally," Dana said. "I thought you were never going to get here."

"Oh," The clerk said in a strange tone. "Is this the groom? I've never had a bride bring her groom with her before."

"Oh no," Dana said quickly. "Trust me, he is _not_ the groom. He's the best friend."

"The _straight_ best friend," Nate said loudly before he could stop himself. The ebony haired clerk smiled at him as he grimaced and cursed himself under his breath.

Her almond shaped eyes brightened and she chuckled at him. "I'll keep that in mind."

Dana held back a laugh and nudged his shoulder. She leaned in closely and whispered, "Smooth, dude. Real smooth."

"Shut up," Nate muttered with a huff. "You know I can't talk to girls."

"I'm a girl and you talk to me just fine," Dana said with a smirk.

"Well, you're—you're…you don't count."

Dana laughed lightly. "Gee, thanks. I think."

"I don't think I've introduced myself yet," The clerk said as she walked around the counter to stand in front of them. "I'm Ella, and this is my shop."

Dana smiled and shook her hand. "I'm Dana, and this is Nate."

Ella's brow furrowed and she stared at Nate thoughtfully. "Wait, I recognize you…why do I recognize you?"

"Ah," Nate paused and cleared his throat. "Well—"

"He's one-third of Connect Three," Dana said quickly.

"Oh!" Ella exclaimed. "That's why! You guys did a shoot for People last month, right?"

Nate's right brow arched at her. "Um, yeah, but we also record music. We've won some awards too."

Ella blushed and chuckled. "Sorry, I, um, don't have much time for the radio. I've been listening to the same music since I finished school and started working."

"Really?" Nate asked. He couldn't imagine that. He was always discovering new music and new artists to listen to.

She shrugged. "My kind of work is twenty four-seven. Somebody always needs something."

"That's kind of…"

"Sad?" Ella asked him knowingly. "Believe me, I know. But I love it. This is the best job I've ever had, believe it or not. Speaking of my job, today it's to help Dana find her perfect dress. Is there a specific designer you had in mind?"

"Yes," Dana said eagerly. "E."

Ella's eyes widened and Nate could've sworn she looked nervous. "E? Um, yes, of course. I'll bring out her selection. I'll be right back."

Ella ducked into a back room that was separated from the sales floor by a doorway and a curtain. Once she was gone Dana smacked him across the back of the head.

"What was that?" Dana asked.

"What?" Nate asked cluelessly.

"The whole 'that's kind of…' thing! You practically insulted the woman! How are you going to ask her out now?" Dana said with a scolding glare.

"Ask her out?" Nate asked in shock. "I don't even know her!"

"Oh please, you _like_ her and you know it."

He sighed. "I think she's _cute_. I don't know enough about her to _like_ her in the way that you mean."

"Then while I'm trying on dresses… _get to know her_. She's nice, and you haven't been out on a date in _how_ long?" Dana asked with a knowing glance.

"Wow, just dig that knife in a little deeper, why don't you," Nate said with a sigh.

"That's what best friends are for, Nate."

"Okay."

Nate jumped as Ella reentered the room. He hadn't been expecting her, but if she noticed his surprise she didn't show it.

"These are all the E wedding dresses that I have. So, why don't you take a look at them and let me know which one's you'd like to try on," Ella said brightly.

Dana gasped as she caught sight of the rack. "Oh, they're all absolutely _perfect_."

Ella smiled and her cheeks turned a pretty light shade of pink. "I'm glad you think so. Any, in particular, that you'd like to try?"

"Oh gosh," Dana said with a light laugh. "All of them?"

Ella chuckled and nodded. "Okay, well, I'll just take the whole rack back to the changing room. How's that?"

Dana grinned. "I like that idea."

"We're going to be here forever, aren't we?" Nate asked with a smirk.

"You got a problem with that?" Dana asked with a playful glare.

Nate held up his hands in surrender. "No, of course not. I would never."

Ella rolled the rack back to the changing room and Dana followed her. Ella came back out five minutes later and stood beside Nate.

"Shouldn't you be back there with her?" Nate asked.

"Normally I would stay close by, yes, but she didn't seem to need my help. She, sort of, pushed me back out here," Ella said in confusion.

Nate chuckled. "Of course she did."

"The two of you seem very close," Ella said pleasantly. "What's the story there?"

"A third grader shoved me and called me Curly Top on the first day of kindergarten and she jumped on his back and tackled him to the ground. We've been best friends ever since," Nate told her with a soft smile.

Ella laughed lightly. "That's adorable."

"Ella?" Dana called. "Can you come and zip me up?"

"Excuse me," Ella said quickly before she headed back to the changing room. Nate sighed as he was left by himself for about five minutes. The two of them finally came back out, and Dana stepped up onto a platform surrounded by mirrors.

"This was my favorite one that was on the rack," Dana said nervously as she turned to face Nate. "How does it look?"

Nate smiled brightly at her. "You're gorgeous, Dana."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Well, I know that, but it is it… _me_?"

Nate nodded. "Oh, yeah."

Ella stepped up to the platform and arranged the skirt. She fanned it out and then circled around Dana with a wide smile. "It's exactly how I imagined it."

"No one's tried this dress on before?" Dana asked.

Ella gulped nervously and shook her head. "This is the newest dress in the collection. I wasn't sure how the exposed underskirt with the embroidery would look when it was actually _on_ someone."

"I love it," Dana said. "I feel like…a goddess."

Ella chuckled. "I believe that's the goal. It helps that you're so tall and skinny. I mean you're _built_ like a goddess. How's the bodice? Too tight? Those asymmetric folds look outstanding on you."

"It could stand to be taken out just a little," Dana told her.

"How do you feel about the gathered draping on the front and sides? And the padding on the hips?" Ella asked.

Dana smirked. "I love it. It makes me look curvier. I've always wished I had a few more curves in some strategic places."

Ella was very analytical about this whole thing. Nate found it interesting. She was asking Dana questions about this dress that sounded like she was searching for any criticism she might have. It was very similar to the way he questioned someone who'd heard one of his songs for the first time.

Ella paused in front of her and smiled brightly. "Then I guess I just have one more question for you, Dana. Is this _the_ dress? Or would you like to try on another?"

"My brain keeps saying I _should_ try on another dress just to explore my options, but…"

"But?" Nate asked with a grin.

"My instincts are telling me that there's no point to trying on another one. _This is it_ ," Dana said with a relieved sigh.

"Finally," Nate said with a chuckle. "This is only the _fifth_ dress shop you've dragged me to."

Dana laughed and shook her head at him. "Hush." She sniffled and turned back to her reflection. "Everything about this dress is _perfect_."

Ella sighed happily, and smiled proudly at Dana. "Do you want to go ahead and take your measurements now or do you want to stay in it for a bit longer?"

Dana chuckled. "I want to stay in it for a bit longer."

Ella laughed and nodded. "Take your time. There's no rush."

Ella returned to her counter. She sat down on a stool and put away a large sketch book. He could tell she was trying to be discrete, but he noticed. He cleared his throat and her head snapped up and her eyes connected with his. He gulped and smiled softly. She really had the most beautiful eyes. They reminded him of melted chocolate. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look away.

He pointed to the leather bound sketch book. "Do you draw?"

She bit her bottom lip nervously. "I, um, play around with a few original designs sometimes."

"Have you ever made any of them?"

"On occasion," She said as she looked away from him briefly. "I made a lot more of them when I was in school."

"And where did you go to school?" Nate asked.

"Is this an interview?" Ella asked with a playful grin.

He chuckled and ducked his head. "No, just…curious."

"The Fashion Institute. Graduated in the top five percent of my class," Ella said proudly.

"Impressive," He said with a nod. "So, why aren't you in New York or Paris tearing up runways?"

She shrugged and then smiled warmly. "I feel like I actually make a difference here. Not that I'm doing non-profit work or anything, but…working here people let me in on some of their biggest moments, you know? It's an honor, really. Like with your friend, Dana." Ella motioned to Dana who was still admiring herself in the mirror. "That's a beautiful moment she's having and she'll probably remember it for the rest of her life, and I'll be a part of that memory. My _shop_ will be a part of that memory. I _love_ that. I love helping to make someone happy. And I get to do that here. The clothes on the runway are beautiful. They're art, but really the only people who can wear them are the models that are photographed in them. I wanted to be a part of something a little more practical, but still creative. And I feel like I've found it."

"You know, people don't really talk like you do anymore," Nate told her with a soft smile.

"Is that bad?" Ella asked worriedly.

He shook his head. "No, it's not bad at all."

"Alright," Dana announced suddenly. "I think I'm ready to take my measurements now."

Ella blushed and looked away from him as if she'd forgotten why he was there. "Right, your measurements."

She grabbed her tape measure and headed back to the changing room with Dana. They came back about fifteen minutes later.

"Okay," Ella said with a nod. "I'll call you with the final price this week and then once we get the payment stuff started I'll start on the alterations."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I've just got to talk to my parents, but I promise you I am coming back for that dress," Dana said eagerly. Ella nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry. I'll hold it in the back for you. That dress is yours," Ella told her with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Ella," Dana gushed. "You're wonderful. Your shop is wonderful."

Ella smiled at her amusement. "You're very welcome, Dana. I'll talk to you soon."

"Yes, you will," Dana said confidently. She turned back to Nate. "You ready?"

Nate nodded hesitantly and shook Ella's hand. "It was very nice to meet you, Ella. Thank you for the conversation. I enjoyed it."

Ella blushed and smiled at him. "And thank you." She winked before she continued. " _Straight_ best friends of brides don't often come into my shop and I'm glad you did."

Dana laughed at Nate as he blushed and looked down at his feet.

"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" He asked.

Ella chuckled. "I believe that's up to Dana. Dana?"

"Never," Dana answered. "Not a chance in hell, Gray."

* * *

Nate arrived back at the studio right at two. Shane and Jason smirked at him as he entered.

"How was dress shopping?" Shane asked.

"Not bad, actually," Nate answered with a smile.

"Uh oh," Jason said with a chuckle. "Shane, you're seeing what I see, right?"

Shane glanced over at Nate and he grinned and shook his head. "Oh no, that's his 'I'm smitten' smile. Dude, you met a girl!"

Nate rolled his eyes. "It wasn't a big deal."

"Oh, please," Jason said with a scoff. "It's always a big deal when you show up with that smile on your face."

"It was just…the woman that owned the store. That's all," Nate said as he set his bag down. "Can we get to work, please?"

"Oh, really? She owned the shop? Was she cute?" Shane asked.

Nate smiled wistfully. "She was beautiful." Nate shook himself back to reality. "But it doesn't matter."

Jason laughed. "Oh it matters, little brother. It matters. You haven't worn that goofy smile on your face in over a year. I mean you haven't been on a date in months, but it's been even longer since you've been on a date with a girl you were actually _excited_ to see. Did you ask her out?"

"You sound like Dana. I barely know this girl," Nate told them both.

"Look, you pass by that block on the way to mom and dad's house. You should go back there and ask her out after we finish up today," Jason told him.

"Okay, no offense, Jase, but why do you get to say anything? You've been in love with Caitlyn from afar since Brown hired her five years ago. You haven't made a move, why should I?" Nate asked with a huff.

"Because I screwed up. I got myself stuck in the friend zone because I _didn't_ ask Caity out right away," Jason told him. "Take it from me, ask this girl out right _now_."

Nate sighed and sat down in the nearest chair. "She's gonna think I'm a stalker."

"Fine," Shane said with a chuckle. "Don't ask her out. It's not our love lives on the line."

"Why couldn't I have normal disinterested brothers?" Nate asked rhetorically. "I really hate you guys, sometimes."

"It's because we're right and you know it," Jason said with a smirk. "Suck it up and get over it."


	3. One Way or Another

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did she bother? She kept trying to actually be Tess's friend, but Tess didn't want any friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've written over 30 chapters of this story. It's being posted on FFN but I would also like for it to be posted here because I feel like there's a strong community of writers here and I love that. So, I hope you guys enjoy this.  
> Happy Reading!

The bell above the door rang and Ella looked up excitedly. She groaned and her face fell when a brunette with fringe bangs approached the counter.

"Geez, Ella, it's good to see you too."

Ella sighed and gave her an apologetically look. "Sorry, Mitchie, I just…I hoped you might be someone else."

"Someone other than your most amazing and loyal best friend in the whole entire world?" Mitchie asked with a chuckle.

Ella bit her bottom lip and blushed. "Yes. See…there's this guy."

Mitchie's eyes widened. "Seriously?  _A guy_? Where in the world did  _you_  meet a guy? You never go out!"

Ella rolled her eyes and flashed Mitchie a bemused smile. "It's not that I  _never_  go out…"

"Ella, the last time we went out was like six months ago. And do you remember where we went?" Mitchie asked.

"Um, somewhere nice?" Ella asked hopefully.

"The crummy Chinese buffet down the street," Mitchie told her with a huff. "It was disgusting."

"So, I like staying in? Big deal," Ella said with a sigh.

"And again I ask: how did  _you_  meet a guy?" Mitchie repeated.

Ella blushed and smiled brightly. "He came in to help his best friend pick out her wedding dress."

"Um, Ella, are you sure he was straight?" Mitchie asked warily.

Ella laughed loudly and Mitchie gave her a strange look. "Believe me, Mitchie, he's straight. He made sure to tell me so. Very awkwardly. It was quite adorable."

Mitchie grinned. "Adorable, huh? You two must have really hit it off if you're calling him  _adorable_."

Ella sighed. "But I guess it's not important. He probably won't be back, and I have no idea where to find him."

"You have to track him down somehow," Mitchie told her. "You just have to. This is the first time you've seemed to like a guy in about two or maybe three years. Really, I mean do  _not_  let this one get away."

"Wow, way to make me sound desperate, Mitch," Ella said with a groan.

Mitchie chuckled. "Well, you kind of are."

"Hey! You haven't been on a date lately either, girly. Tess works you so hard that I'm surprised you know which way is up," Ella told her.

"Tess is helping me get my songs out there, El. I owe her," Mitchie said with a sigh.

"I still don't understand why you're writing songs under a fake name," Ella said with a shake of her head.

"Yeah, I imagine that would be pretty hard to understand,  _E_ ," Mitchie said with roll of her eyes and a smirk.

"My situation is entirely different," Ella said primly.

"How so?" Mitchie asked.

" _E_  keeps my anonymity intact. I like my privacy. I like my small comfortable life. If the world knew I was E then suddenly I'd be wanted for appearances and events…and then what would I do about the shop?" Ella asked. "You need no such anonymity. I mean you  _want_  to be an artist."

Mitchie sighed. "I'm just afraid I'm no good. I'd rather find that out first, and then if it turns out I'm talented…I'll own up to writing all of Devonne's songs. That's the plan, anyway."

Ella laughed after a moment of tense silence. She laughed hard and loud.

"What's so funny?" Mitchie asked.

"We're  _both_  so  _sad_ ," Ella said through her laughter. "We're  _chicken_."

Mitchie started laughing with her. "Oh God, we really  _are_."

Once their laughter died down Ella took a long gulping breath and let it out. "Okay, so you're here for Tess, right? There's no way you're here at 3:30 in the afternoon on your own."

Mitchie chuckled and nodded. "Tess wanted me to pick up her latest dress. The really short, bright red one?"

Ella's eyes widened and she smiled in amusement. "Oh yes, I know the one. Only Tess could pull off that dress. I'll get it for you."

She hopped off her stool and ran into the back room and while she was gone the bell above the door rang again and Mitchie turned to see Nate Gray of Connect Three walk in the door. Ella came back out just then.

"Here it is, Mitch. Just as bright red as I remembered it. Tell her if she uses her lightest foundation and her brightest red lipstick then she'll totally  _kill_  in this dress," Ella said as she handed Mitchie the dress and looked up. She froze when she noticed Nate standing behind her. She smiled slowly at him, and Mitchie took the dress. Ella cleared her throat before she spoke. "You're back."

Nate nodded and smiled in return. "I'm back."

Mitchie smirked at the two of them. "Yes, he's definitely straight."

Nate blushed and he gave Mitchie and Ella a knowing look. "You told her, huh?"

Ella laughed and nodded before she spoke. "She's my best friend. I had to. Did Dana forget something?"

Nate grinned and shook his head. "No, Dana didn't.  _I_  did."

"Oh?"

"Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" Nate asked as he took in a nervous breath. "I realize that we just met today and I probably seem like a complete and total stalker but—"

"I'd love to," Ella said eagerly.

Nate's eyes widened and he smiled brightly. "Really?"

Ella nodded and pulled a business card out of one of the drawers in the counter and handed it to him. "That's my cell number on the bottom of the card. Call me and let me know when."

Nate took the card and nodded. "I will  _definitely_  do that."

Ella smiled shyly at him. "I can't wait."

"Me either," Nate said with a relieved sigh.

Ella's eyes slid over to Mitchie. "Oh! Nate this is my best friend, Mitchie Torres, and Mitchie, this is Nate Gray."

The two shook hands.

"I recognized him," Mitchie said. "I'm Tess's assistant and every year Tess gives me a binder to study with the name and pictures of the top 20 hottest acts in the music business. Connect Three's been in the top 5 since I started working for her."

"I'm not surprised," Nate said as he smiled politely at Mitchie. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Mitchie said as she tossed a disbelieving smile at Ella

Nate turned back to Ella and winked. "I've got to go, but I will be calling you  _very_  soon. So don't change your number or anything."

Ella laughed. "Darn, you figured out my plan. I call it, 'how to avoid my stalker'. It was working just fine until you came along."

Nate laughed and shook his head. "See you soon, Ella."

"You  _certainly_ will," Ella said as he slowly walked out the door of the shop.

The door closed behind him and Mitchie immediately punched Ella's shoulder lightly. "You didn't tell me that this guy was Nate Gray from  _Connect Three_!"

"Is that important?" Ella asked.

"Well, considering you just gave me a speech about how important your anonymity is…yeah, I'd say it's pretty important." Mitchie told her with a sympathetic smile.

"What do you mean?"

"He's famous, sweetie," Mitchie told her. "His life is  _far_  from private."

Ella bit her bottom lip. "I didn't think about that."

"If you date him, your life won't be that private either, El," Mitchie told her honestly.

"But…I  _like_  him," Ella said pathetically.

"I'm not saying you  _shouldn't_  date him," Mitchie said with a chuckle. "I'm just saying you should really consider all the angles and figure out if you think it would be worth it."

"I…well, one date couldn't hurt right? I'll decide after that," Ella said with a sigh. "I have to give him a chance, Mitchie. I mean, I  _like_  him."

Mitchie chuckled. "I heard you the first time, Ella."

Ella smiled brightly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't believe he came back to ask me out!"

Mitchie smirked. "With the way he was looking at  _you_ …I believe it. I have to go, El. I'll see you at your place for movie night later."

"Don't be late. Your mom's making us a feast," Ella told her.

"Oh, please, don't let her make you think she's gone to a lot of trouble. It's just the leftovers from the café. Someone has to eat them or she has to throw them away," Mitchie said with a smirk.

"Still," Ella said. "Don't let Tess talk you into any overtime."

"Fine, fine. No worries," Mitchie told her as she walked out the door. "I'll be there."

* * *

Mitchie arrived back at the studio where Tess was working on her new album with the red dress in hand. She hung it up on the back of the door, and then joined Tess to find Axel telling her about the meeting.

"They're going to take a look at the music," Axel said. "But the middle one-"

"Shane," Mitchie interrupted as she cleared her throat.

"Right, Shane," Axel said as he sent a small glare in Mitchie's direction. "He seemed to like it. I told them you needed to hear from them as soon as possible. This just might work out."

Tess smiled brightly. "Good! This song is perfect for them, and can you imagine how many copies it would sell with them on the track with me?"

"Keep me updated," Axel said as he stood up. "If this goes well you'll be single handedly responsible for gaining me a few new clients."

Mitchie rolled her eyes. "Yes, because that's what making music is all about: obtaining new clients for Star Management."

"You better believe it," Axel said as he walked away. "I want this album done in two weeks, Tess. The sooner you finish it the sooner we can move on to tours and merchandising."

Tess sighed. "I know. Trust me, Axel, I'll have it done."

The door closed behind him and Mitchie scoffed. "I really don't like that man."

"No one does," Tess said truthfully. "Well, except for his daughter."

Mitchie smirked and gasped sarcastically. "You mean even the cold and demanding Tess Tyler doesn't like her manager?"

The corners of Tess's mouth turned upward slightly and she held back a chuckle. "Why do I keep you around again?"

"Because finding someone else who can memorize your ever changing schedule would take too long?" Mitchie asked with a smirk.

"That and you write much better songs than any of the songs Axel's brought me over the years,  _Devonne_ ," Tess said with a knowing grin.

"So, Connect Three is seriously considering recording one of my songs?" Mitchie asked nervously.

"Axel says they are," Tess said with a nod. "Make sure you answer any calls from unknown or private numbers. They should be calling soon."

Mitchie nodded. "Of course. I picked up your dress from Audrey's."

"Did you ask if Ella'd gotten any new dresses from E?"

"No, new dresses from E. I didn't ask, but she knows you well enough by now to tell me as soon as I walk in the door," Mitchie said with a chuckle.

"Fine," Tess said with a sigh. "I guess we're done for today."

Mitchie blinked at her. "What? But it's not even five o'clock yet."

"So?" Tess asked in an annoyed tone.

"You never end the day before five."

"I have plans tonight and I would like to have plenty of time to get ready," Tess told her.

"Plans…as in a date?" Mitchie asked curiously.

"No," Tess said with a groan. "Luke won't talk to me about anything other than business, and whatever he  _does say_ that's unrelated to business is not very nice."

"Why do you  _want_  to date this guy again?" Mitchie asked.

"You're my assistant, Torres, not my little sister," Tess said in a snippy tone. "I don't think it's any of your business."

Mitchie's eyes widened and then she scowled. "I apologize. I forget that you don't like it when I try to be a friend."

"People in my position don't have friends," Tess told her. "We have leeches."

"Or famous mothers who haven't taken your calls since Christmas," Mitchie said sympathetically.

"What are you still doing here?" Tess asked hotly. "Did I or did I not tell you the day was over?"

"Alright, alright," Mitchie said as she turned and repacked her bag. "I'm leaving. You won't have to deal with anyone who  _cares_  for the rest of the day. Happy?"

"Extremely," Tess sneered as she watched Mitchie leave.

Mitchie closed the door behind her and rolled her eyes. Why did she bother? She kept trying to actually be Tess's friend, but Tess didn't want any friends. For some reason she was under the impression that friends slowed her down. The minute Mitchie hit too close to home Tess turned hostile. Whatever, she had movie night with Ella tonight and then she actually had the following day off. She didn't have to think about work or Tess for the next twenty-four hours.

It was going to be amazing. She couldn't wait.

* * *

Caitlyn turned off her  _Indiana Jones_ lamp and headed into Brown's office.

"It's five o'clock, Brown. Time to go home," Caitlyn said as she leaned on his office door frame and gave him a stern glance.

" _Caitlyn_ , I believe I'm your boss," Brown said with a smirk. "Aren't I supposed to decide when we go home?"

Caitlyn shook her head. "No, you're a workaholic. You make no decisions about the beginning or the end of the day."

"Jason's picking you up, isn't he?" Brown asked with a knowing grin.

"In about five minutes," Caitlyn answered as she glanced down at her watch. "Now, come on, pack everything up and turn everything off."

"Fine," Brown said with a soft laugh. "I know better than to mess with you when it comes to spending time with Jason."

"Thank you," Caitlyn said with a smile. "I appreciate it."

"Anything for my best assistant," Brown said with a grin.

"I'm your only assistant," Caitlyn said with a chuckle.

Brown waved her off. "Details."

"Caity?"

Caitlyn turned eagerly as Jason's voice rang out in the hallway.

"Hey!" She said as she saw him.

"Ready?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I just finished convincing Brown to go home. Let me get my bag."

Caitlyn grabbed her yellow tote and then poked her head in Brown's office.

"See you in a couple of hours, Brown," Caitlyn said. "You are going to your sister's for dinner, right?"

"I'll be there," Brown told her. "Don't worry about that. Now, go, Caitlyn."

Caitlyn smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'm going. Bye."

She turned back to Jason and looped her arm through his. He blushed and smiled down at their linked arms before they both headed to the elevator.

"So," Jason asked. "How was your day?"

"Amazing," Caitlyn said brightly. "I got to blackmail your publicist into having lunch with Brown."

Jason laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because I'm all powerful and evil," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "And I never fail to use it to my advantage."

They made it out to his car and then back to her apartment. As they walked through the door she dropped her keys into a small bowl on her coffee table. And then she suddenly remembered something.

"Oh! Jase, can you run across the street to Connie's and pick up my quiche?" Caitlyn asked urgently. "I would do it but I need to change and we're running a little late—"

"No problem, Caity," Jason said with a smile. "I'll get it for you."

"Thank you," She said as she headed back to her bedroom. She continued to talk over her shoulder as she walked away. "You're the best, Jase. Just grab a ten out of my wallet to pay for it."

Jason stared warily at her tote bag as it sat on the couch. "Um, okay."

The last time he went through her bag she tweaked his nose. Yes, tweaked his nose like some bit out of a Three Stooges movie. Even though she told him to get her wallet, he didn't quite feel safe digging through her bag again. Instead he left without getting anything out of her wallet. He had money. He could pay for it himself.

 


	4. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caitlyn and Ella meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are 26 chapters of this up at Fanfiction.net and I never posted any more of them here because, no one seemed to be reading it here BUT I think I'll start posting one chapter a day here to catch it up with FFN. Enjoy!

Caitlyn tilted her head and stared at herself in the mirror before opening her closet. What do you wear to dinner with the parents of the guy you’re in love with but not dating? Or to dinner with the sister of your employer? A dress seemed like too much. She didn’t wear them that often, usually only for special events or dates so to wear one tonight wouldn’t feel appropriate. She reserved skirts and dress pants for work on most days so that left jeans. She could dress up a pair of jeans.

She put on her favorite pair of skinnies, a grey sequined t-shirt, and a black blazer. She dug her charcoal ankle boots out of the back of her closet, and then opened her jewelry box. She grinned at all the bird jewelry inside of it. Most of it came from Jason. He had a thing about birds. He loved them. Caitlyn thought it was because birds were generally happy and were often linked to music. It made it easy for Jason to relate to them.

And so for every birthday and Christmas for the last five years he’d given her some type of bird jewelry. Normally, she wouldn’t accept jewelry from _friends_ , but it was Jason…she didn’t really want to be his _friend_ to begin with. She decided to go with an owl theme tonight: an owl necklace, an owl ring, and owl earrings.

She turned back to her reflection and smiled before taking her hair out of its bun and running her fingers through it. Spending the whole day in the bun left it falling across her shoulders in soft waves. She heard her apartment door open and close as she started to touch up her makeup.

“Jase?” She called. “Is that you?”

“No, I’m actually a random stranger that’s here to steal all your earthly possessions.”

Caitlyn chuckled and rolled her eyes at the sound of Jason’s voice. “I see I’ve finally taught you sarcasm.”

“Connie gave you an extra quiche. She thought you might want one for breakfast in the morning,” Jason called from the living room.

Caitlyn grinned as she touched up her eye shadow and eye liner. “Of course. That woman has got to stop giving me free food. I have money. I can pay for it.”

“Somebody has to spoil you, Caity,” Jason said.

Caitlyn glanced at her jewelry box out of the corner of her eye. Jason seemed to be doing a pretty good job of that on his own. She reapplied her lipgloss, and then began digging through her bin of purses and clutches. She had this one wristlet in mind for this outfit. It was perfect. It was black and studded and just big enough for her phone, lipgloss, and wallet, and—

And she just remembered that she leant it to Dana last week. Caitlyn groaned and cursed. Great, so that meant either a purse or a large tote bag. She didn’t like to carry tote bags when she wasn’t at work, and a shoulder bag just felt like too much for this outfit.

“Oh,” Jason called suddenly. “Nate and Dana went to that Audrey’s Closet shop across the street today.”

“Oh yeah?” Caitlyn called as she rummaged through her bin. “Did Dana find her dress?”

“Yep, and Nate walked away with a date.”

Caitlyn froze. “Wait. _What_? Nate hasn’t been on a date in _forever_.”

“Yeah, well, neither have either of us.”

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “Yes, thank you for reminding me.”

“Anyway, apparently Nate really hit it off with the girl who owns the shop.”

Caitlyn groaned. “What have I told you guys about dates? You’re supposed to let me approve of all potential dates _before_ you ask them out. It’s the only way to keep Shane from dating evil users.”

“Caity,” Jason said in a bemused tone. “Out of the three of us, Nate is the best at reading people. If he thinks someone’s faking it he just doesn’t even bother with them. I’m sure this girl is harmless. He said she didn’t even really know who he was.”

“Of course she pretended not to know who he was. She’d be stupid to make her ambitions _that_ obvious,” Caitlyn said with a roll of her eyes. “But this is actually perfect because I don’t have  a bag to go with this outfit, and now I have an excuse to run over to Audrey’s Closet and check this girl out.”

She stood up and then joined Jason in the living room. She grabbed her tote bag and headed for the door.

“You’re not seriously going over there?” Jason asked.

“Yes, I am. Are you coming?”

Jason sighed. “If I don’t then there’s no one to stop you from provoking this poor girl until she attacks you.”

“Let her try,” Caitlyn said with a smirk. “I’m too scrappy to be beaten.”

“You’re insane,” Jason said with an amused smile.

“And that’s why you all keep me around,” Caitlyn said as she opened the door and walked out into the hallway. “We’ll come back for the quiche. I’ll have to drop off this tote bag anyway.”

“I can’t believe I’m letting you do this,” Jason said as he closed the door behind him. “Nate’s going to kill you.”

“He won’t kill me,” Caitlyn told him. “He’ll just lecture me to death, and I’ve learned to ignore him.”

Jason and Caitlyn hurriedly crossed the street. Caitlyn stopped to look at the hours sign on the door. She was open to walk-ins five days a week, closed on Sundays, and only available by appointment on Wednesdays. Her hours of operation were 7 to 6 everyday, but her sign by the door said she’d extend her hours for any appointments. Caitlyn glanced down at her watch. It was five till six. They’d just made it.

A bell sounded as Caitlyn opened the door and a dark haired girl came out of the back room.

“Oh,” She said brightly. “Hello. You’re just in time. I was about to lock the doors for the day. How can I help you?”

“Hi,” Caitlyn said as she pasted on an overly friendly smile.

Jason bit back a groan and whispered to her. “Please don’t do this.”

Caitlyn elbowed him in the side and Jason grunted in pain. “ _Shut up_.” She smiled at Ella again. “I’m actually looking for a wristlet to go with this outfit. I really don’t want to carry this tote bag and I let a friend borrow the wristlet I normally use. I thought you might be able to help me out. You are more than a bridal shop, yes?”

She nodded and smiled. “Evening gowns, wedding gowns, shoes, and accessories. Let me show you my selection. I’m Ella, by the way. You are?”

“Caitlyn,” She answered. “And this is my friend Jason.”

Ella came out from behind the counter and shook both their hands. “Nice to meet you both. If you’ll follow me.”

“I’m looking for something to go with what I’m wearing,” Caitlyn said. “Do you have any suggestions?”

Ella gave Caitlyn a slow once over. “Well, you’re wearing a lot of neutral colors so you might want something a bit brighter just to add some dimension.” Ella reached into the glass case they’d stopped in front of and pulled out a glittery bright magenta wristlet. “Something like this would be very fun.”

Caitlyn grimaced. “I’m not a big fan of pink. I prefer primary colors or black. Do you have any suggestions in _black_?”

“I honestly wouldn’t suggest black. It would match, but then your outfit would seem rather cold,” Ella told her kindly. “But I can understand that not everyone likes pink.” Ella glanced through the display cases and suddenly her eyes brightened. “Perfect.” She unlocked another case and pulled out a beautiful plum colored studded leather wristlet. “How about this? It’s a bit darker, but still adds a touch of color.”

Caitlyn smiled brightly and nodded. “I do actually really like that.”

“Wonderful,” Ella said happily. “Anything else I can help you with?”

“No, that’ll be all,” Caitlyn said.

“Okay, well then let’s get you checked out,” Ella said as she took the wristlet with her and led Caitlyn back to the counter.

Caitlyn cleared her throat as Ella scanned the barcode on the wristlet. “So, how long have you worked here?”

“Well, I’ve _worked_ here for about nine years, and I’ve owned it for five,” Ella answered thoughtfully.

Caitlyn picked up one of her business cards from the holder. “I see. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead,” Ella said pleasantly.

“How many relationships have you been in?”

Ella’s hands froze as she was removing the security sensor from the bag. “Um, I’m sorry?”

“I was just curious,” Caitlyn said with a smirk. “But if that’s too personal…I mean I understand if you’ve been in too many to count.”

Jason shook his head and sighed tiredly. He leaned against the counter and gave Ella an apologetic look.

“I—I…don’t understand,” Ella said with a confused expression.

“It’s a really simple question,” Caitlyn said.

“She’s not going to leave you alone until you answer,” Jason told her sympathetically.

“Well, um…if you count high school relationships?”

“I do,” Caitlyn told her.

“Then three,” Ella answered nervously. “One boyfriend in high school, one in college, and then one since I graduated.”

“Uh huh,” Caitlyn said with a nod. “And what’s your _number_?”

“My number?” Ella asked. “Well, it’s on that business card you’re holding, and the shop is listed in the—“

“No, no. Not phone number. You’re _number_. The number of men you’ve slept with,” Caitlyn said plainly.

“Oh god,” Jason said as he buried his head in his hands.

“ _What_?” Ella asked in a high pitched nervous voice. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

Caitlyn winced. “That many, huh? Out of curiosity, if some guy that worked a minimum wage job asked you out…would you accept?”

“Are you doing some sort of poll or something?” Ella asked with a furrowed brow before she huffed and turned snippy. “And, for the record, I have _not_ slept with a lot of guys. Thank you very much. I’ve barely slept with _any_ , actually.”

“And barely any means?” Caitlyn asked.

“I—um, _two_ , okay? Are you happy now?” Ella said with a blush and a glare. “If you’re done invading my privacy you owe me $48.50 for the wristlet.”

“You didn’t answer my last question,” Caitlyn said with a sigh.

“Why do you want to know? Are you looking to set someone up on a blind date?” Ella asked in a tense tone.

“No. Are you avoiding _my_ question?”

“ _Caitlyn_ ,” Jason said in a scolding tone. “Leave the poor girl alone.”

The bell over the door rang again and all three people turned to find a brunette approaching the counter. The brunette locked eyes with Caitlyn and then smiled politely. “Hey, I know you. You’re, um, Gellar…Caitlyn Gellar, right? Brown Cesario’s assistant?” Then the girl noticed Jason and smiled again. “And you’re Jason Gray. Look at that, Ells, two members of Connect Three in your shop on the same day. How’d you manage that?”

Ella’s eyes widened and she turned to give her two customers questioning glances. “You’re here because of Nate, aren’t you?”

Caitlyn turned back to the brunette and gave her a once over before she was finally able to place her. “You’re Tess’s assistant. That’s why I’ve seen you.”

“God,” Ella said with a dry chuckle. “Now this whole infuriating encounter makes so much sense. Did he send you over here to interrogate me? To figure out how honest or dishonest I am, is that it?”

Jason sighed. “I didn’t want to come over here at all, honest. But Caitlyn’s a little over protective. Nate has no idea she’s here. I promise. And trust me, we’re both going to get yelled at as soon as he finds out about this.”

Ella groaned angrily and handed Caitlyn the wristlet. “You know what? Take it. It’s on the house.” She glared at Caitlyn one last time. “You know, not everyone who’s interested in Nate is going to be a gold digging whore. I just…I thought he was nice, and…sort of adorable.” She paused and blushed. “He’s worth getting to know a little better.” She looked back at Caitlyn with a clenched jaw. “Is that okay with you?”

Caitlyn’s eyes widened and she smiled brightly. “Oh, I like you already. You don’t scare easy. That’s always a plus.”

“If all of Nate’s friends are like you then I definitely agree,” Ella said with a sigh. “Can I close up now or do you have more questions?”

“No, no,” Caitlyn said pleasantly. “I’ve learned all I need to know, and…I approve. Come on, Jase, let’s get out of her hair. Thanks for the wristlet!”

Jason gave Ella an apologetic smile. “Again, so sorry about all of this. Have a good night!”

“Yeah, you too,” Ella said as they left. She immediately ran and locked the door behind them.

* * *

 

“ _Caitlyn_ ,” Jason sneered as they walked back across the street. “What the hell was that?”

“I needed to know what kind of person she was,” she said simply.

“You humiliated her,” Jason said with a roll of his eyes. “Was that necessary?”

“Yes, Jase, it was,” Caitlyn told him. “People can fake being nice. They can pretend to be the most accommodating person in the world. But you can’t _fake anything_ when you’re truly angry. When people get pissed off they usually crack and let a little bit of the honest truth slip out. That’s what I wanted from her, and I got it.”

“Is that what you do to all of our potential dates?” Jason asked skeptically.

“That’s what I _will_ be doing since Shane’s last dating debacle ended up with him being trashed on the front page of every tabloid in the US _and the UK,”_ Caitlyn told him decisively.

“But wait a minute, I’ve had you meet a girl I wanted to ask out since then. You know, right after you started dating that one guy…um…Barney?” Jason asked curiously. He knew the guy’s name. He just didn’t like to think about him.

“Barry,” Caitlyn corrected him before she huffed. “And yes, I remember her.”

“Is _that_ why she stopped taking my calls?” Jason asked.

“She wasn’t good enough for you,” Caitlyn answered honestly. “I caught her bragging to her friends about her date with a member of Connect Three. I could have tolerated her if she was bragging about _you_ , but she wasn’t. She was bragging about _the band_. She didn’t make the cut.”

“Fine, if you get to screen our dates then I think _we_ should screen yours,” Jason said sternly. “It’s only fair.”

Caitlyn headed into her building and fumbled to find her keys in her tote. “That shouldn’t be an issue. No one’s asked me out since _Barry_ broke up with me.”

Because of _you_ , Caitlyn thought. Barry had broken up with her because he felt like she was _too_ attached to Jason. And she was. She knew she was, and it wasn’t something she _wanted_ to change.

“Then they’re all idiots. Especially _Barney_ ,” Jason muttered as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Caitlyn smiled slightly at that and absently jammed her hand in her tote in the hopes of reaching her keys. As luck would have it she _did_ reach her keys, only the tip of one of them stabbed underneath her fingernail. She dropped her tote and hissed. “ _Shit!_ Ow!”

Jason instantly grabbed her hand. “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. My keys stabbed me, that’s all. _That’s_ why I only carry totes to work. They’re _too big_ ,” Caitlyn said with a pout.

“Which finger was stabbed?” He asked.

“My ring finger.”

He held onto her injured hand tighter and brought her ring finger closer to his face. Caitlyn could feel her cheeks heating up. She had to step closer to him as he pulled her hand toward him, and she was suddenly very aware of just _how close_ they were.

“Well,” Jason said as he examined it. “It’s not bleeding, but you definitely broke your nail.”

“It still hurts,” Caitlyn said with a nervous gulp.

Jason smirked at her. “Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?”

Caitlyn had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming a very loud _“YES!”_ at him.

“That won’t be necessary,” She said with a small smile.

“No, it’s not necessary,” Jason told her. “But I bet it would help.”

Before she could say anything else he pulled her hand toward his lips and placed a feather light kiss on the pad of her ring finger.

Caitlyn blushed an even deeper shade of red and looked away from him. “Thanks.”

“Anything for you, Caity,” Jason said as he bent down and picked up her tote. He pulled her keys out of it, and held them out to her. “Here you go.”

Caitlyn tried not to let her hands shake as she took her keys from him and unlocked her door. Was he _trying_ to torture her? The door opened and she practically ran for the kitchen table so she could drop her tote and switch over to the wristlet. As she did so Jason went to the kitchen and retrieved the quiche. Caitlyn took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She could do this. She could make it through the night without embarrassing herself and _jumping_ Jason.

“Caity?” He asked from the door. “You ready?”

“Yes,” She said slowly. “I’m ready.”

She turned and walked briskly out of the apartment with Jason trailing behind her.

* * *

 

“What was that?” Mitchie asked in confusion.

“Honestly?” Ella said with a sigh. “I have no idea.”

“I can’t believe you just _gave_ her that wristlet,” Mitchie said with a chuckle. “Did you want her to leave _that_ badly?”

“Mitchie, she asked me how many guys I’d _slept_ with,” Ella told her with a pointed look.

Mitchie’s eyes widened and she winced. “Yikes. Yeah, I’d have wanted her gone too.”

“I’m so embarrassed,” Ella said as she rubbed her red cheeks.

“Jason seemed nice,” Mitchie said observantly.

“Yeah, I guess,” Ella said as she mentally tried to shake off her anger and humiliation.

“I took the food mom sent over up to your apartment already,” Mitchie told her. “Tess wanted to finish early today, apparently.”

“Good,” Ella said as she straightened up her counter and packed up her tote bag. “God, I need a night of rom-coms and face stuffing. _Especially_ now.”

She pulled her bag onto her shoulder and turned off the lights as she and Mitchie headed to the door. She unlocked them briefly to let them both out and then locked it behind her. They walked to the corner of the building to another door. Ella pulled out her keys and unlocked that door and then she and Mitchie headed up a long narrow flight of stairs.

“Mitch,” Ella asked as she stopped in front of her apartment door. “Can you lock that down stairs door?”

Mitchie nodded and jogged down the stairs to lock the door. Ella lived in a studio apartment above her small store. It had a lot of floor space, but no bedrooms. There was a decently sized kitchen and a spacious full bath, but her living room and bedroom were one room. She unlocked her apartment door and left it open for Mitchie. Ella threw her bag down on her day bed that doubled as a couch and then turned to her hand me down dining room table.

Her eyes widened when she saw the spread Connie Torres sent over. “Oh God. Your mom is trying to fatten me up, isn’t she?”

Mitchie laughed as she entered the apartment and closed the door. “She’s trying to fatten _everyone_ up. Why else would she own a _bakery_? Do you know how many total carbs she feeds people every day?”

“Since I’m one of those people she feeds every day I’d rather not know,” Ella said with a grin. “So, what do you think we should watch tonight?”

“ _Clueless_ ,” Mitchie answered immediately. “We haven’t watched that in ages.”

“Oh, I love that movie. Alicia Silverstone is so adorable,” Ella said with a smile. “Sounds good to me.”


	5. Tides Gonna Turn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate finds out Caitlyn visited Ella's shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding another chapter of this to Ao3. There are a ton more chapters on FFN because the Camp Rock category is bigger over there but let's see what happens with this.  
> Happy reading!  
> angellwings

 

Jason and Caitlyn arrived at the Grays nearly fifteen minutes late, and when they finally walked through the door Caitlyn was greeted with a bone crushing hug.

“Caitlyn,” Mrs. Gray said eagerly. “It’s been too long, sweetie.”

Caitlyn chuckled lightly. “It’s good to see you too, Mrs. Gray. I brought one of those quiches I told you about.”

“Oh?” Mrs. Gray said as she pulled back and turned to Jason who was holding the quiche. “That looks delicious.” She took the quiche out of Jason’s hands and rushed it to the kitchen.

“Don’t mind me,” Jason said with a smirk. “It’s not like I’m your _son_ or anything. I don’t need a hug.”

“Oh, hush,” Mrs. Gray said with a chuckle. “I see you all the time.”

Mrs. Gray took Caitlyn’s hand and led her into the living room with the others. Jason followed the two women with a smile. Caitlyn was the only girl, besides Dana, in any of her son’s lives that she approved of. She’d made it clear that she wanted Jason to make a move.

“Jason and Caitlyn are here,” Mrs. Gray announced. “Have a seat, you two. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Hey guys,” Shane said. “Took you long enough to get here.”

“Caity had to make an extra stop,” Jason said as he threw a scolding glare in her direction.

“Will you stop?” Caitlyn asked in a huff. “Don’t you think you’ve lectured me enough for one night?”

“Uh oh,” Dana said with a grin. “What did she do this time?”

Jason looked at Nate hesitantly before looking down at his hands. “I don’t want to say. I’d like to live to see my next birthday.”

Nate glared at both of them suspiciously. “What does that mean?”

Caitlyn glared at Nate. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to ask out some random shop girl?”

“Wha—“ Nate paused at looked at Jason. “You _told_ her?”

“You never said I couldn’t!” Jason said in a desperate high pitched tone. “Shane! Help me out here.”

Shane shrugged. “It’s true. You know Jason tells her everything.”

Nate rolled his eyes. “Caitlyn, what did you do?”

“Well, Dana has my wristlet and I needed one to go with this outfit so I—“

“Please tell me you did _not_ go over there,” Nate said as he interrupted her.

“Well, what did you expect?” Caitlyn asked. “I told you guys that _I_ need to approve of your dates. Shane’s dated too many wannabes for me to trust you three to pick out your own girlfriends.”

Dana chuckled. “Oh God, poor Ella. Did you traumatize her?”

“I just asked a few questions, that’s all.”

“Yes,” Jason said with a sigh. “A few highly personal, extremely _embarrassing_ questions.”

“I swear to God—“

“Language Nathaniel!” Their mother called from the kitchen.

Nate sighed tiredly before he continued. “If you scared away the first girl I’ve genuinely been interested in, in a _very_ long time, I _will_ shun you, Caitlyn Michelle Gellar.”

“Ooh,” Caitlyn said dryly. “ _Shunning._ Sounds scary.”

“Tell me what happened right now,” Nate demanded.

“Nothing major,” Caitlyn said with a wave of her hand. “I like her though. She’s feisty, and very sweet. Good choice, Nater-tot.”

Nate huffed and stood up. “I’m going to go call her to make sure she’s still speaking to me.”

Caitlyn held up her wristlet to show Dana. “And look what she gave me!”

Shane laughed. “She gave you that to get rid of you, didn’t she?”

“It doesn’t matter why,” Caitlyn said stiffly. “What matters is that she gave it to me.”

* * *

 

Ella’s phone rang as she and Mitchie settled on the day bed and she immediately answered it.

“Hello?”

“E-Ella?”

She gasped and nearly dropped the phone. “Nate?”

“I’m just calling to make sure you don’t hate me. Jason told me that Caitlyn stopped by and I just wanted to make sure we’re still on for a date. Um, _are_ we?”

“First, I need to know something.”

“Anything,” Nate said quickly.

“Did you _send_ her to my shop?” Ella asked nervously.

“ _God no_ ,” Nate said adamantly. “I didn’t even tell her I asked you out. I was hoping to hold her off for a while, but Jason tells her _everything_. I probably should have seen this coming.”

“So, she took it upon herself to barge into my shop and question me?” Ella asked.

“She thinks it’s in her job description to tell us who we can and can’t date,” Nate said apologetically. “If it helps she seems to like you.”

Ella grinned. “After all of that? Really?”

“She’s an odd duck, I know.”

Ella giggled softly at that. “Did you just use the phrase ‘odd duck’?”

“Is that…a bad thing?”

“No,” Ella said with a smile. “It’s just so old fashioned that it’s adorable.”

Nate cleared his throat nervously. Ella had a feeling he was blushing. “So, what are you doing on Sunday night?”

“Nothing. Sunday’s my day off,” Ella answered.

“Good. I was hoping we could have dinner.”

“I would love that,” Ella said eagerly.

“Great,” He said with a relieved sigh. “I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Okay,” Nate said brightly. “I’ll see you Sunday.”

“See you Sunday,” Ella repeated.

“And I’m sorry about Caitlyn. I promise the rest of my friends are _mostly_ normal,” Nate told her.

Ella chuckled. “No problem. I completely understand.”

“Thanks,” Nate told her. “I, um, I might call you later.”

Ella bit her bottom lip and blushed. “I hope you do.”

“Bye, Ella.”

“Bye, Nate.”

Ella hung up and then let out an excited squeal. Mitchie chuckled at Ella and took her plate from her. Ella stood up and jumped up and down. She screamed softly in delight and spun around as she jumped. She stopped abruptly and turned to Mitchie.

“I have date! I have a _date_! With a _completely_ adorable guy! OH. _MY_. GOD!”

Mitchie laughed and shook her head. “You’re such a girl.”

“I don’t care,” Ella said in a prissy tone. “Do you wanna know why?”

“Because you have a date?”

“Yes!” Ella said with a triumphant giggle. “On Sunday! That’s the day after tomorrow!”

* * *

 

“You got lucky this time, Caitlyn Gellar,” Nate said as he came back into the room with a big smile on his face. “She still wants to go out this weekend.”

“Aw,” Caitlyn said with a chuckle. “You’re all blushy and smiley. It’s adorable.”

“ _Shut up_ ,” Nate said sternly. Although the smile on his face didn’t quite make the glare convincing.

Dana smiled at him. “Aren’t you glad I made you talk to her? If it wasn’t for me you would have completely ignored her.”

“I would not.”

“Don’t lie, bro,” Shane said with a smirk. “You so would have.”

“So, what are you and this girl going to do on this date?” Mrs. Gray asked as she came into the living room.

“ _Mom_ ,” Nate said with an embarrassed grimace.

“What? Am I not allowed to ask that?”

“No, you’re allowed,” Jason said with a smile. “He just has no idea.”

“Can we talk about something else? Like where Uncle Brown is?” Nate said as he eagerly changed the subject.

“Good question,” Caitlyn said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “He better not still be at the office. He told me he was leaving and that he would be here.”

Nate let out a relieved exhale and pulled out his phone while everyone was distracted. He typed a quick text to Ella and hit send before shoving his phone in his pocket.

_“I hope you don’t plan on going to bed early tonight. I’m having dinner with my family and I was hoping I could call you when it’s over.”_

As everyone got up to go to the dining room table his phone vibrated and he eagerly checked his messages.

_“I’ll be up. Promise.”_

He smiled and put away his phone before turning to Caitlyn.

“You owe me for what you did tonight,” He told her.

She blinked him. “For trying to look out for you?”

“For nearly scaring away a girl I really like.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, what do you want?”

“Well, I want to have a really nice dinner with Ella, but I don’t want to take her out to a restaurant and have the paparazzi ambush us. That really _would_ scare her away. And since you know how to cook, I thought…that maybe I might be able to convince you to…”

“Oh just spit it out, Nate,” Caitlyn said impatiently.

“I was hoping you’d make dinner for Ella and myself,” Nate said hesitantly. “Something nice. I mean I could try and do it myself, but…the last time I tried to cook I nearly burnt down mom’s kitchen.”

Caitlyn chuckled. “Sure. I mean, it would probably help make up for all of my rudeness from earlier tonight. But Jason’s helping me.”

“Jason’s doing what?” Jason asked as they all sat down at the table.

“Helping me cook dinner for Nate’s date.”

“I am?” Jason asked.

“Yes you are,” Caitlyn told him with a nod.

“Okay.”

“Find out if Ella has any food allergies and then call me,” Caitlyn told Nate before she took a sip from her water glass.

Nate smiled brightly at her. “Thanks, Cait.”

Caitlyn shrugged. “No big deal. When’s this date?”

“Sunday. I’m picking her up at 7,” Nate told her.

“…and bringing her back to your apartment?” Caitlyn asked with a smirk. “Just what do you expect to happen, Nate?”

Mrs. Gray cleared her throat. “I’m sure he plans to be a _perfect gentleman_. Don’t you, Nathaniel?”

Nate blushed and a strained smile appeared on his face. “Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

 

Ella glanced over at Mitchie as the credits rolled on their movie. Mitchie was sound asleep. Completely dead to the world. Ella chuckled and carefully stood from the day bed. She took their dishes over to the sink and began to straighten up what she could without making too much noise. Suddenly her phone rang and Ella cursed under her breath and ran to hurriedly answer it.

“Hello?” She said quietly.

“Hey, it’s Nate.”

She smiled and headed for her front door. “Hey. Hold on one second.”

“Okay.”

She grabbed her keys and walked out her front door and down to the bottom of the stairs. She sat down on the bottom step and leaned her back against the wall. She glanced out of the glass door to her right as she lifted the phone to her ear once again.

“Back,” She said. “Sorry, Mitchie was asleep so I stepped outside. I didn’t want to wake her up.”

“She’s the friend I met earlier, right?” Nate asked.

Ella nodded. “That’s her.”

“And she stayed over?” Nate asked.

“Girl’s night. She has tomorrow off.”

“What about you?” He asked. “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

“I do, but all I’ve got to do is get ready and go downstairs,” Ella said with a chuckle. “No commute means I can sleep later.”

“You live in your shop?” Nate asked.

“No,” Ella said with a chuckle. “Above it. In a studio.”

“Above…it?” Nate repeated thoughtfully. “Would you mind if I stopped by? It’s on my way home.”

“Are you talking on your cell and driving?” Ella asked worriedly.

Nate chuckled. “No, I’m leaning against my car in my parent’s driveway.”

“Good,” Ella said. “And you can certainly stop by. How long do you think you’ll be?”

“About fifteen minutes. Is that okay?” Nate asked.

Ella glanced down at her PJ pants and worn out t-shirt. Fifteen minutes was just enough time to change. “That’s perfect.”

As soon as they hung up Ella raced up stairs and into her apartment.

“Oh God, what to wear, what to wear,” Ella muttered as she opened her closet and scanned her clothes. She found a pair of jeans, a Barbie t-shirt, and slipped on her pink glittery Toms. She’d just met Nate. She was not going to let him see her in sloppy PJ’s just yet. No way.

She tucked her keys in her front pocket and slipped her phone into her back pocket before she quietly snuck out the door and down the stairs. Nate texted her just as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She smiled and opened the glass door that led out onto the sidewalk. She spotted Nate leaning against a car that was parallel parked next to the sidewalk. She smiled and waved as she approached him.

“Hi,” She said brightly.

“Hi,” Nate responded with a grin. “It’s after midnight. I was expecting you to be in your pajamas or something.”

Ella blushed. “Well, I was, but I sort of changed clothes.”

Nate chuckled. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“We haven’t even been on a first date yet,” Ella told him with a smirk. “No way you’re seeing me in my PJ’s until _after_ that at least.”

Nate nodded and smiled. “That’s fair, I guess.”

“So,” Ella said as she took a step closer. “How was your family dinner?”

“Well, there was teasing, lecturing, lots of hugging, and home cooking. All in all, just another day in my life,” Nate said with a crooked smile. “What about your night?”

“Movies, junk food, and gossip,” Ella told him with a nod. “Your usual girls night stuff.”

“Caitlyn didn’t ruin your day too much?” Nate asked apologetically.

Ella grinned. “It was a bit…intimidating, I guess, but I think I’m mostly over it now. I mean, I can understand why she felt the need to ask me all of those—“

“HEY! LOOK WHO IT IS! SUP, LOVEBIR—“

“ _Caity!_ Shh!”

“Chill out, Jase. I was just saying hello.”

Nate’s face flushed and his eyes widened as he and Ella turned to see Jason walking Caitlyn inside the door of her building.

“Caitlyn had wine at dinner. A _lot_ of it. Forgive her,” Nate said as he rubbed a hand over his forehead.

Ella’s brow furrowed. “What are they doing here?”

“Jason’s dropping her off.”

“Dropping her—you mean she _lives_ around here?” Ella asked with wide eyes.

Nate nodded and grinned. “Across the street.”

“Across the street,” Ella repeated. “I hope she’s a lot more pleasant once you get to know her.”

Nate laughed. “Yes, she is. I promise. I mean she’s still abusive and loud, but not quite so rude.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Ella said with a small smile. “So, what’s up with her and Jason? Are they a thing or…”

“ _Or_ ,” Nate said tiredly. “They’re not a thing, but it’s obvious they both want to be. Neither of them can work up the guts to do anything about it, though. They’re…complicated.”

“Trust me, I understand complicated. That word seems to define my life,” Ella said with a slow nod.

“Yours too, huh?” Nate asked with a light laugh. “Complicated seems to be a popular condition in this city.”

“It’s a worldwide condition,” Ella told him with a smirk. “An epidemic, if you will.”

Nate laughed. “So it is.” He paused and shuffled nervously before he continued. “About Sunday…”

Ella smiled warmly. “Yes?”

“Is it okay if we have dinner at my place? I’d rather not have the cameras on our tail for our _first_ date,” Nate admitted.

“That would be a bit awkward,” Ella told him in a hesitant tone. He just had to remind her that he was famous. “Sure, dinner at your place sounds great.”

“I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman. Hands to myself,” Nate told her with a smirk.

Ella chuckled and blushed as she spoke. “Well, you don’t have to keep your hands to yourself the _whole_ time.”

Nate grinned and quirked an eyebrow at her. “Oh, really?”

Ella nodded. “Just try not to move too fast.”

Nate smiled and reached out for her hand. “So, something like _this_ would be okay then?”

Ella smiled shyly and stepped closer to him. “Yes.”

“Good to know,” He said softly as he reached out and held her other hand as well. “You should know…”

Ella glanced at him expectantly. “I should know?”

He cleared his throat before he spoke again. “That I _really_ look forward to getting to know you, Ella. I actually kind of can’t wait.”

She sighed happily and squeezed his hands. “Neither can I.”

Nate glanced down at his watch and immediately regretted it. It was late, and he had to be up early the next day. He sighed apologetically. “I should go. It’s nearly one in the morning.”

Ella nodded in understanding. “Me too. I have an early morning consulting appointment.”

“I _really_ would like to stay but—“

Ella cut him off with a kind smile. “I totally understand, Nate. Besides, I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”

He nodded. “I will be here at seven _on the dot_ to pick you up.”

“Looking forward to it,” She said with a grin.

Nate hesitated a long moment before he let go of her hands. “Good night.”

“Sweet dreams, Nate,” Ella said brightly as she slowly backed away from him and toward her door.

Nate waited until he saw her enter the building before he got in his car and drove away. He _hoped_ this relationship was off to a great start.


End file.
